Salvation

(Not Edited) How he took care of me.

I woke up with arms hugging me tight, and I look up to see Nathan's hair as his face was buried in my neck. I could feel his tears on my neck as sobs shook his body.

"Nathan", I croaked out, and he looked at me with a smile on his face.

"Grace!" Nathan said before hugging me, and I took in a sharp breath. "Oh god, sorry."

"It's fine, just sore," I told him, and he picked me up and stood up before carrying me to the couch.

"Two minutes, I've going to phone the doctor," Nathan told me, and I nodded. I watched him on the phone. He whispered harshly into the phone.

I looked away from him as I closed my eyes for minutes as my head was pounding.

"Hey, Grace, you okay?" Nathan asked as he kneeled beside my head, and I turned to face him with a small smile.

"Hi", I breathed out, and he smiled at me as he smoothed down my hair. We stayed there for a while as I tried to not cry with the pain.

"Why did you go back?" Nathan asked me, making tears come to my eyes, and I shook my head.

"I was scared; I didn't know what to do," I said as the tears fell and Nathan soothed me.

There was a knock at the door, and Nathan rushed to answer the door.

"Come in; she's right through here!" Nathan said, and an older man followed him into the living room, and his face fell with dismay. He walked over to me and sat beside me. He was giving me a warm smile.

"Hi Grace, I'm Doctor Roberts," He asked me softly, "How are you?" and I smiled at him.

"I'm okay; I'm in a lot of pain," I told him, taking in a sharp breath.

"Well, Nathan, could you help her sit up for me," Doctor Roberts said to Nathan.

Nathan took my arms before gently helping me to sit up.

"I want you to follow my finger," Doctor Roberts told me before shining a light into my eyes, and I followed his finger.

"Well, you don't have a concussion," He told me before running loads of other tests. He took my temperature, blood pressure, checking my arms and legs. He listened to my breathing and heart rate.

"You seem to be fine, no real damage, but you do have some nasty bruises and cuts; I'll give you some strong pain killers and get some rest," Doctor Roberts told me and handed Nathan a box of pills. "Do you have anywhere to sleep?"

"She's staying here," Nathan told him, and I felt my heart race, with butterflies in my stomach.

"Well, I'll come and check up on you in a couple of days," Doctor Roberts told me before walking out of the room with Nathan behind him.

I wonder what David is doing right now? Is he angry? Did he notice I'm gone? Did he even miss me?

"Hey, you feeling okay?" Nathan asked, and I nodded.

"Yeah, I think the tablets are kicking in," I told him, and he smiled at me, and he kneeled beside me.

"I just wanted to thank you for everything; you didn't need to get me a doctor but thank you," I told him before kissing his cheek.

"No, bother, anything to help you," He told me, making my heart skip a beat and a bright smile comes on my face.

"I'm sorry I came here, you were probably busy, I don't know why I came here", I started. "You are the only person I could think of and the only person that would care."

"Well, I do care," He told me, and I smiled before yawning, making Nathan chuckle.

"Come on," He said as he stood up before sliding his arm underneath my legs and using one to support my back.

I chuckled. "You know I can walk right."

"Yes, I do know, but you're in pain," He told me as he walked through his excellent apartment.

"I'm covered in blood," I told him, looking at my dress and body.

He took me into his bathroom and sat me down on the edge of the bath.

"Here, let me help you," He told me, and I nodded.

He took my dress off and before lifting me into the bath. I felt the water hit my body, making goosebumps run over my skin. I hugged my knees to my chest as the water ran over me.

After Nathan washed my blood off my body and out my hair, "Just wait here," He told me before walking out of the bathroom and quickly returning with a pair of lounge pants and a pink plain tank-top.

He helped me dry myself before putting on the clothes he had brought me.

"Rosie left some clothes here," He told me. "Good thing she did."

"Thank you," I told him, and I don't know why but I kissed him, and the happiness and warmth swept through me, and he kissed me back.

I pulled away from him to catch my breath, and I rested my forehead against Nathan's forehead.

"Come on," He told me, and he helped me back through to his bedroom.

I lay down beside him, just staring at him, feeling the warmth, delight and I felt myself fall deeper for him.

"What happened? Why would he do this?" Nathan asked, and I could tell that the question was bothering him for some time.

"At the start, he was so sweet and charming," I said as I started to choke up.

"Everything was perfect, but" I wiped the tears away as Nathan smoothed my hair down, running his hand along my back.

"It slowly started to turn dark, like the life just gets sucked out of you. There's no point anymore, and I just... I just stuck up for him all the time," I sobbed, hiding my face in the pillow, and Nathan rubbed my back.

"Shhhh", He hushed, and I lifted my head and turned back to him.

"I'm sorry I've not really talked about this before," I told him as I wiped my eyes.

"Because when he said he was sorry, I thought it meant it wouldn't happen again, but it did, and it kept happening again and again and again."

"I stuck up for him because it wasn't his fault; it was mine. I felt so alone and worthless. I was completely alone because I had no one. No one to turn to or talk to," I said, and I looked at Nathan.

"I'm so glad you are here," Nathan said to me, and a small smile found its way onto my lips.

"Me too," I said, pushing my hair behind my ear.

Nathan pulled my body into him, and his warmth took over me like a hot water bottle in the winter.

"Everything's going to be okay," Nathan told me, and I nodded as a tear rolled down my face, but he wiped it away before kissing me.

I started to kiss him back. The sparks and tingles ran down my whole body, made me smile. He tasted sweet and minty from his toothpaste. I smiled, and so did he breaking the kiss, he lends his forehead against mine, and I lay down, cuddling into him. Feeling for once in a long, long time safe and stress-free as I went to sleep in Nathan's arms